


Dog Walking

by fabulousanima



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Blow Jobs, Dogs, F/M, First Dates, First Meetings, New Year's Eve, dog walker au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2017-12-25 09:24:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/951417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulousanima/pseuds/fabulousanima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dogwalker AU.  Soul thinks he can handle walking Oni.  He can't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know if dogwalker AUs are a thing but this happened.

Soul heard his second alarm go off and he groaned, clutching his pillow closer to his face. He didn't wanna go, dammit. It was Wednesday, which meant it was an Oni day. _Fuck._

He slammed his hand down on the blaring alarm clock and blearily opened his eyes. 10:30am. Damn. Okay, he knew it was a little ridiculous that someone needed an alarm to wake up at 10:30 in the morning, but he was a night owl; he couldn't help it. He dragged himself upright, scrubbing his face with his hands. He let out a sigh and his hands fell to his lap. Glaring in the harsh light of his sixth story apartment, Soul absentmindedly rubbed a hand across the large scar bisecting his chest. There was a reason he didn't like that dog.

Getting _impaled_ on a fucking fence did not endear the animal to him.

He stood up, sleeping pants riding low on his hips. He stumbled to his chest of drawers, yawning so wide his jaw cracked. He started to rummage through his shirts, trying to sniff out a clean on.

It hadn't been Oni's _fault_ , not really. The dog was just really excitable and the lure of being able to chase a cat had been too much to resist, so Oni had dragged Soul and the six other dogs he'd been walking across three lanes of traffic (Soul's terrified shrieks to “ _Heel!_ ” completely ignored) until Soul had made a painful acquaintance with the fence. Oni had seemed apologetic afterward as Soul had been hoisted onto the stretcher, swearing forcefully, but the dog's cautious licks were not going to pay his medical bills. His boss Marie had had to meet them there, her blonde hair up in a harried bun, so that she could finish the walk and return all the dogs to their respective owners.

What Soul really needed to do was walk Oni alone; he wasn't meant for group walks. But his _bitch_ of an owner Medusa insisted that he “needed the socialization.” Marie was too fearful of losing her wealthiest customer to argue the point. Soul might have actually _believed_ Medusa really did just want her dog to have friends if not for her positively evil grin every time Soul came to collect her check. That woman was a _snake_ , and if Soul didn't desperately need this job, he would have flipped her the bird and bounced the fuck out of there.

He pulled on what he hoped was a clean T shirt, folding his arms inside it to pull his mop of pale hair through last, and exchanged his pajama pants for boxers and jeans. Soul unlocked his phone and scanned the list of dogs he needed to go get that morning, pressing the heel of his free hand into his eyes to banish sleep from them. He let out a sigh and walked across his tiny studio to mash the buttons on his coffee maker.

Twenty minutes later, Soul was caffeinated and on his way to his first pick up. He brought out the large ring of keys he used to get into his clients' homes to let it jangle merrily against his hip. Today wasn't a bad day; only five dogs. But with Oni, anything could happen.

Soul approached the Gorgon building, the first four dogs walking sedately in front of him. He tied their leashes in an expert knot around the fence outside and climbed the marble steps. Sliding the key into the door's lock triggered something to slam against the front door, agitated barking following the _fwump_ against the wood. “Just me, buddy,” Soul said in a monotone, barely audible over the booming barks of the dog on the other side. He turned the key and immediately put his hand down to catch around the collar of the dog before it could push past him.

Oni was all wiggles and drool, and Soul couldn't help but smile as he ran a hand over the dog's cropped ears. He wasn't a _bad_ dog, although Oni's tail knocking the fancy umbrella stand to the floor with an ominous crack didn't really help his case. Soul righted the stand without looking too closely so he could later feign innocence if it was broken and grabbed Oni's leash, hanging neatly on a peg by the door. He let Oni scrabble in excitement across the polished floors for about 45 seconds before catching him and snapping the latch of the leash.

Back in the sunlight, Oni struggled against the leather lead, completely oblivious to Soul's steady refrain of “Heel. Heel. Heel. Heel.” Soul managed to untie the other leashes, but it was difficult because Oni kept yanking his other arm away from him as the dog tried to get started on the walk. Eventually Soul succeeded, bent over in half as he held onto all the leads.

Oni walked twice the distance the other dogs did, weaving back and forth and occasionally tangling all their leashes, causing Soul to stop and curse while he undid the knots. Oni was honking and gasping for breath, he was pulling so hard against his collar, yet he wore the dopiest dog grin possible, and Soul rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the mutt. There were a few lunges at some brazen squirrels, but the canine was quickly distracted by other smells, so Soul was able to maintain control.

One of the other dogs squatted primly, and Soul waited while it finished its business, reaching into his pocket for a bag. He pulled out only two very wrinkly ones. _Fuck._ He had forgotten to restock. Tossing one of his precious bags in the trash, Soul glanced around. His normal route consisted of walking down a stretch of green that ran the length of the city, but there were some convenience stores a few blocks away. Those sidewalks, however, were much more populated than the thin path that wound its way between the trees, and that just spelled danger. But Marie was extremely strict about “elimination retrieval” and he knew if she ever found out he didn't pick up after one of their dogs, she'd skin him alive. He turned the dogs towards the main street. The first four obediently followed, but Oni, no doubt thrilled at the prospect of new territory to explore, started galloping against the leash, nails scraping against the concrete.

“God damn it, Oni, _heel,_ ” Soul demanded, but the mongrel paid him no mind as he dragged Soul and the other dogs along with him. They barreled their way through passerby, Soul calling apologies over his shoulder as people dove out of the way of the oncoming mass of canine. It was like being in a car with no brakes. Soul narrowly avoided smacking into a streetlamp pole, cursing loudly. A woman pushing a baby stroller gave him a scandalized look, but Oni galloped him past her before Soul could retort.

About two blocks ahead, Soul could see a CVS. There was a bike rack in front of it. He could probably manage to grab onto it and that combined with his and the other dogs' weight should slow Oni down, and he could wrap the leashes around it while he popped in to grab some more doggy bags, Ziploc bags if need b--

“Augh!”

They had been passing in front of a coffee shop, and a young woman with her nose buried in a book had somehow not noticed the crazed herd of dogs barreling down on her. Oni leapt up, paws against her silk blouse, and her coffee cup went flying. Soul tripped forward and smacked his forehead painfully against hers. The other dogs, startled by Soul's loud cry of anguish, starting circling the two, tangling them tighter and tighter together, both soaked in what was (thankfully) iced coffee.

“Shit, I'm--”

“Oh my god--”

“Man, I'm really sorry—”

“Could you--”

Soul pried his eyes open, trying to keep chilled mocha out of them, and noticed a thin woman far too close to him. She was bent at an awkward angle, and it took Soul a minute to figure out why. “ _Oni!_ ” He dragged the dog back as best he could, extracting the mutt's face from under the woman's skirt.

“Shit, I am so sorry, really, shit, lemme buy you another coffee or like another shirt or something – _Oni! Stop that!_ – oh man, I really, really am sorry--”

The woman looked up, eyes finally meeting his, and Soul found himself opening and closing his mouth like a fish. They were a verdant green, wide and intelligent, and he suddenly felt very rumpled in his questionably clean T shirt and unwashed jeans, covered in a healthy coat of coffee.

She burst out laughing. Soul let out a weak chuckle as the woman broke down into helpless giggles, stiffening slightly as she leaned against his chest. Oni, clearly happy because people were happy, wagged his tail so that it thumped hollowly against Soul's wet pant leg. The young woman finally seemed to compose herself, giggles weak and breathy as she straightened, oblivious to the strange looks the passerby were giving them as they steered well around the messy writhing mass of dogs. She tried to wipe her eyes, but she only managed to smear coffee across her face, and she started laughing again.

“I'm really sorry,” Soul said hoarsely, staring at her.

“I know,” she said, gulping for air. “I know. It's fine! It's fine. I wasn't watching where I was going.” She looked at him again. “Don't worry about it.”

“Yeah, but your clothes...” he said, glancing down at her soaked shirt. It was white, and he could see the faint outline of a black lacy bra, and he firmly moved his eyes to her face. The woman glanced down.

“I can dryclean it. No problem.”

“I can pay for that!” Soul said quickly.

“It's fine!” she said, smiling at him again. “Really, I am not mad, you don't have to look so scared.”

Soul cursed every blood vessel in his face for making his cheeks glow. “I know, but we have a budget for any problems that happen while we're walking the dogs--”

“You mean these aren't all yours?” she asked, a smile in her voice.

“No! Of course... oh,” he said, as she laughed again.

“I was kidding. It's quite an eclectic little group of puppies,” she said, leaning slightly to rub Oni's coffee-drenched head while Soul struggled to remember the definition of “eclectic” – why did he drop out of college, again? “Especially this little darling. What's his name?”

“Oni. And he's a brat.”

“This little angel?” she asked, her voice playful.

“More like a little demon,” Soul muttered darkly.

“Aww!” she said, sounding amused. “Well, let me get a better look at this brat.” She smiled cheekily at him. “You're gonna have to untangle us, though.”

“I-- shit, hold on,” he mumbled, twisting and pulled at all the various leashes. After some maneuvering that he _refused_ to compare to dancing _at all_ , he managed to free them, and the woman squatted down, her pencil skirt sliding over her knees. Oni began to lap happily at her face, and she chuckled.

“Wow, I have never seen him give so many kisses. Ever.”

“What a good boy!” she cooed, scratching at the dog's ears as it tried to wiggle its way into her lap. “Good boy.”

“He's a pretty... special dog,” Soul reported as the young woman scrubbed at the dog's neck, the extra skin bunching comically around its face. “He's high strung, got a lot of energy. He rarely ever listens to commands.”

“Really?” she said, straightening up. She smiled down at Oni. “Sit.”

The dog sat neatly on the sidewalk.

Soul gaped. “ _How did you do that?_ ” The woman grinned.

“I get listened to,” she said coquettishly. Soul felt his cheeks burn again.

“No seriously, you're the only who can control him. Not even his owners can.”

She cocked her head at him. “Guess I'll have to walk them with you more often, then.” She brushed at her stiffening coffee-stained clothes. “I might need that job, seeing as how I lost my boss's coffee.”

“I can buy you more!” Soul said quickly. She laughed.

“It's fine, it's no worries! I didn't mean it that way.” She picked up her purse from where it had fallen (mercifully coffee free; Soul didn't know how much it cost but it looked expensive). “But, um, if you wanna maybe buy me coffee yourself...” she trailed off, meeting his eyes with a playful glint.

Soul felt a smile creep across his face. “Yeah,” he said, feeling a little shell-shocked but more determined than ever in his life _not to fuck this up_. “Yeah. As long as you tell me your name, so I know what to tell them to put on the cup.” _So stupid Soul, what the fuck were you thinking, what is wrong with you, you idi--_

“Maka,” she said, her eyes meeting his, crinkled at the edges where she smiled. “My name is Maka.”


	2. Chapter 2

Soul shifted his weight slightly from foot to foot, standing outside the (thankfully) different coffee shop. He tried to steady himself.

Even after ruining one of her outfits, even after making her late to work, Maka wanted to see him. She hadn't been angry at all, and he could barely _believe_ his luck. He wasn't totally sure why she wanted to see him again, but he wasn't going to complain.

“Hi!” he heard from behind him, and he turned. Maka was standing there, looking far more relaxed than she had the first time he'd met her: she wore old jeans and a pink t shirt, and her hair was done up in pigtails.

“Hey,” he said, feeling a little awkward. But her grin was wide, and he released a tension in his shoulders he didn't know was there.

“You were here early,” she said playfully.

“Nah, only been here a minute,” he lied. “Wanna go in?”

They entered the coffee shop. It was homey, with smooth wooden tables and low benches and the music that wafted out of the speakers was something with a lot of ukeleles. They approached the counter, and after a friendly disagreement as to who would pay (Soul won), they picked a table in the corner and settled in.

Maka made for an excellent conversation partner; she was lively and engaged, and she asked enough questions without being nosy. She was only a bit older than him, and hadn't been working at her current job – at the publishing company, apparently – for very long. She loved reading, so she was excited to be in the industry. She also loved working out, trying new foods, and playing video games.

She also _really_ loved dogs.

“I'm so jealous!” she said, playing with the spoon in her large mug. “You get to play with puppies every day.”

“'Play' might be pushing it, but it is a pretty sweet deal,” Soul chuckled. “But uh, yeah, not exactly raking in the big bucks.”

“Yeah, but in this economy?” said Maka, waving her hand airily. “It's almost impossible to find anything. What's your degree in?”

“Uh, never finished, actually.”

“Oh! Oh, sorry. I shouldn't have assumed.”

“No, it's fine, no problem. Yeah, I really should have, but I just... I couldn't stay there without knowing what I wanted to do with my life. It just felt, I dunno, not quite right.”

“No! I understand.” She met his gaze, and she seemed sincere. “I thought about quitting at one point. My parents finally separated, and it was kinda messy. I did stick it out, but I know the feeling. It's not a problem at all.” Maka suddenly looked sheepish. “I mean, I'm not saying that, like, this is gonna turn into anything. Like that it matters what I think at this point. I mean, it's fine either way. Ugh,” she said as Soul laughed, putting her face in her hands.

“I gotcha. I'm having a good time too,” he said as she lifted her reddened face. She shook her head, smiling slowly, but she still looked a little embarrassed. “So what kind of music are you into?”

The conversation flowed from that point on. It went a little too well, because when Soul looked up to peer out of the small window, he was shocked to see that the sun had set.

“Shit!” he said, and Maka looked over to where he was staring.

“Oh wow!”

“I'm sorry, I hope you didn't have anywhere to be today.”

“Nope! No, I'm fine. I just have to have dinner at some point.”

“...Wanna grab some?”

They gathered their things and headed up the stairs into the darkening city. Soul pulled out his smart phone and they spent a few minutes looking over their options in the immediate area. Maka wrinkled her nose at Soul's suggestion for sushi (“Really?! What?!”) but they eventually agreed upon a small Indian restaurant. It was only a few blocks away, and they were seated immediately.

Maka ordered a merlot, and Soul ordered a Corona, and the conversation went even more smoothly. They ate with gusto, arguing jokingly over who would get the last piece of naan (Maka won), and Maka requested a box to take her leftovers home in (while she marveled over the fact that Soul had finished – “Where do you _keep_ it all?”).

“Wow!” Maka exclaimed, checking her phone as they stepped into the cool night air. “We've been at this for eight hours.”

“Shit. I _really_ hope you didn't have anything to do today.”

“Nope! I got to do exactly what I want, which is meet someone really interesting. I haven't talked that long with someone since... well, ever.”

“Me neither. I mean, I'm sure my brother and I have argued about something for that amount of time, but probably not all at once. God, he could be such an ass. I should call him.” Maka laughed. “So are you okay going home this late? Should we call a cab?”

“Oh! No need, I live really close. A couple blocks in that direction.” She gestured.

“Mm, yeah but I hate to have you be by yourself...”

“Are you asking to walk me home?” she asked coyly, hip checking him slightly. It was the first time (since their fateful and _damp_ first encounter) that they had touched, and Soul felt a small thrill run up his spine.

“All right, yes, I'll feel better if I walk you home.”

“Okay!” she said, and took off down the street. “Try to keep up.” He chuckled and jogged to meet her.

“I think I can handle it.”

“Oh, I dunno! I can keep up a pretty fast pace.”

“Yeah, but what do I do for a living? I _walk_. You are not any more of a challenge to keep up with than Oni.”

“Are you comparing me to one of your dogs?”

“I mean, you do have these floppy dog ears,” he said, batting at one of her pigtails.

“I'll have you know that pigtails are very in these days.”

“It's in to have floppy dog ears?”

“Gimme that,” she said, grabbing her hair out of his grasp. “You lost hair privileges.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, you're not off to a good start.”

They bickered playfully for another few blocks, passing from light to shadow as they wended their way under the streetlamps. Soul couldn't tell how much the beer was affecting him (it had only been one, of course) or if it was Maka that was making him giddy. Her laughter was infectious, and she seemed to be enjoying his company as much as he was enjoying hers.

“This is me,” she said, indicating one of the buildings. They climbed the steps together, suddenly shy.

“Well,” he said, shifting from foot to foot again.

“I had a really great time today, Soul,” Maka said in a rush.

“Yeah, me too. It's nice to talk with someone... yeah.”

“Getting tired of talking to your dogs?” she teased.

“I've been spending so much time with them lately, I am starting to have conversations with them,” Soul chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sounds like you're becoming one of them,” Maka said lightly, leaning forward almost imperceptibly.

“I guess so.”

“Guess that makes you a real _dog_ , huh?” She smirked, her eyes lidded.

“Maybe.”

“Maybe, or definitely?”

Soul suddenly leaned forward and swiped his tongue across Maka's cheek. Before she could react, he thundered down the steps and into the gloom of the nigh. He galloped the length of the block until he stopped, turning back to look at her darkened stoop. She was still standing there, frozen in place. His heart pounded in his chest until she found her voice and shrilled into the night, “ _Come back here and give me a real kiss, you ass!”_

“No!”

“ _Why not?”_

“Because you have to wait for the second date!”

“Wh--”

“Insurance!” he shouted, and turned on his heel, running as her laughter carried to his ears through the still night air.


	3. Chapter 3

“Marie, _really_?”

His boss's harried voice carried through the phone, high and tinny. “I'm so so sorry Soul. This wasn't my intention, but I am already told my mother I'd be there, and Stein took off of work specifically--”

“No, I know.” He scrubbed his face with his free hand. “This has got to be against your rules.”

“Not exactly. Certainly, she's _bending_ them, but breaking them...”

Soul sighed. “Fine. Fine, whatever. I'll be there at four.”

Marie sighed audibly. “Thanks, Soul.”

 

* * *

 

At 4:10pm, Soul climbed the large marble steps of Medusa Gorgon's brownstone, hands dug deep into his pockets and shoulders hunched against the autumn chill. He pressed a cold finger to the small glowing doorbell, and large booming barks echoed from behind the ornate door. After a long pause, the lock slid back and the door swung open to reveal a thin woman in a short black dress.

“Mr. Evans,” she purred, her lips curling upwards into a smirk. “How are you this weekend?”

“Fine,” Soul tried to reply, but two large paws hit him squarely in the stomach, and he struggled to remain upright. “Hi, Oni,” he wheezed, rubbing the dog's thick neck.

“I'm so very sorry this is so last minute,” Medusa said, not sounding sorry at all, “but something came up. I am so glad Marie allows for dogsitting as part of her business. It makes it so much easier to make plans.” Soul shot her a sharp look, but her face was inscrutable.

“Yeah,” he said sullenly. “Well, lemme grab his leash and I'll get out of your hair.”

“What a good boy,” she said coyly. Soul felt a chill drop down his spine. She didn't move out of the way as he walked by her to grab the thick lead hanging off a hook in the entrance way. “I've got food and treats at my place, so no worries about that...” He clipped the leash to Oni's collar, and the dog started tugging on his arm, clearly expecting a walk.

Medusa eyed him, hands on her hips. “I do hope you didn't have any plans yourself this weekend,” she said, looking almost delighted at the prospect.

Soul gritted his teeth. “Nope,” he said.

 

* * *

 

Maka picked up after the first ring.

“Hi! I'm almost done here at the office, then I'll run home and change and grab my--”

“Maka, wait.”

“--bags and we can hit the road! Wait, what?”

Soul closed his eyes, but this was a bad idea because he was still en route to his apartment with Oni, who was dragging him along, panting and wheezing as he strained against his collar. “Maka, I am so so sorry, but we can't go to the cabin this weekend.”

“What?”

“The client from hell, Medusa, called Marie this afternoon and demanded that someone watch her dog this weekend. Marie told her mother she'd help her move into a smaller apartment, and her boyfriend took the weekend off for her, and we just fired Kim two weeks ago, so we're short staffed... I'm so sorry Maka, but I have to watch him.”

“Does the timeshare not allow pets?”

Soul winced. “Yeah, the owners of the cabin are really strict about that. When we were kids, they didn't even let my brother bring his rabbit one summer.”

“So we won't get to see the leaves change? And go to that wine-tasting party? And the corn roast?”

“I'm so sorry Maka.”

She was silent, and Soul felt icy fingers close around his heart. He felt the knot in his stomach grow; he had wanted to take this trip to his parents' timeshare as much as she did. He had been looking forward to getting out of the city, he had been excited to show Maka the cabin he'd enjoyed so much as a kid, and he had especially been looking forward to getting laid (her not-so-subtle hints at bringing lingerie had gotten him more riled up than he cared to admit). But most of all, he didn't want to disappoint Maka, a woman he'd fallen in love with in a disturbingly short amount of time. He still hadn't said this to her, but a romantic evening in a cozy cabin with a bottle of wine might have induced him to; now he'd be spending the weekend in his apartment, alone, trying to keep Oni off the couch.

“White or red?” she asked suddenly.

“What?”

“For dinner tonight. We'll just have a mini-vacation at your place. We can always go another weekend, even though it won't be peak leaf season and the weather will be colder and this is the only long weekend until Thanksgiving. But it's fine! We'll make the most of it.”

“Are you sure? I am so sorry, really Maka--”

“Soul, I know. It's fine. I mean, okay, yes, I am definitely disappointed and I want to strangle that woman because you know she did this on purpose, but my mother always told me there's no use dwelling in the past, and I won't. Besides, we've been meaning to watch all those movies, and now we finally can.”

“You're positive?”

“Yes, definitely. So white or red?”

Soul felt a grin spread across his face even as Oni got himself tangled in a bush. “Whatever you like.”

 

* * *

 

Oni tried to climb the stairs to Soul's apartment as fast as he could, but as he was still attached to the leash, he tripped and slammed his face into the carpet. Soul winced, but the dog seemed to be made of steel, because he just stood up and tried to leap up the stairs again. Following the dog's lead, Soul took the stairs two at a time, reaching the sixth floor landing with a thud. Oni strained against the leash, eager to explore new territory, but Soul dragged him over to his door. He struggled to remove the right key while Oni paced back and forth, nose to the ground and tail wagging quickly.

“Okay buddy,” Soul said as the lock clicked open, “I need you to behave yourself. Maka's coming over, and my landlord will kill me if you break anything in here.” He opened the door and unclipped the lead.

Oni burst over the threshold, scrabbling across the hardwood floors like a russet blur. “Oni!” Soul shouted, but to no avail. The crazed dog scrambled against the floor, and Soul rushed forward and threw open the door to his closet. He frantically dug through the pile of hats and scarves that littered the floor. Finally he unearthed four little red booties, and he ran to intercept the excited animal.

They flopped to the floor, Soul struggling to get the boots on his feet and Oni struggling to keep running, but in the end, Soul won. Oni shook himself as Soul released him. He looked down to stare at his feet. Soul watched him blink confusedly at the boots for a full minute before the dog threw himself to the ground and began to wiggle across the floor, picking up where he had left off in his race around the tiny studio apartment, except this time shuffling on his side. Briefly, Soul debated the situation, but as Oni was no longer threatening to scratch his floors, he let him wiggle across the floor.

He walked to the fridge. There was nothing too special inside: some Chinese leftovers, a few beers, a large bowl of pasta he'd been slowly chipping away at, and a half empty carton of milk. He thought he might have a few instant meals hidden somewhere, but his appetite was suddenly and soundly put off as Oni vomited at his feet.

 

* * *

 

At 8pm precisely, a buzz rang out through Soul's apartment. He raced to the intercom. “Hello?”

“Let me up!” sang Maka's voice through the gravelly speaker. Soul pressed the button, and she hung up on her end. Soul turned around.

“We're having guests,” he told the dog sternly. “We're done playing tug-o-war.”

Oni merely panted at him, rope at his booted feet.

There was a knock on the door, and Soul opened the door to reveal his flushed girlfriend, slightly winded from the stairs.

“I got a bottle of rosé instead,” she said, stepping into the studio. “I just couldn't make up my mind.”

“Sounds good,” grinned Soul.

“Hi baby!” Maka cried as Oni pounced, wiggling and whining his pleasure. “How are you? Yes baby hi! Hi there! Yes I am here! Yes we are gonna have a great weekend! Hi! Hi! What's with the boots?” she asked, turning to Soul.

“He was scratching up my floor,” he grumbled.

“Were you scratching the floor? Were you doing that?”

Oni was grinning his sloppy puppy grin, and Soul couldn't help but smile; Maka's arrival usually provoked that kind of reaction in him too. She set her bags down so she could properly massage the dog's face, and his tail wagged in big happy circles.

After a very thorough hello that took about half an hour, Maka and Soul prepared a makeshift dinner (half of which went over Maka's shoulder and down Oni's throat) and took their plates and their wine glasses to his coffee table, settling themselves on the couch. Oni followed closely, ears pricked towards the plates.

They scrolled through Netflix and found a movie. It was somewhat difficult to watch the screen and eat their dinners at the same time, because Oni kept nosing into the plates, trying to steal bites while they were distracted. Maka gave in and put the mostly empty plates on the ground, and Oni set to work on them, determined to get every last molecule of food.

Soul leaned back and flung an arm across the couch. Maka snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, and they settled in. The movie seemed far less interesting now that they were alone in the apartment together. Soul found himself idly playing with her hair, twirling the strands around his fingers and watching it cascade down her neck. She put a hand on his knee and gave a small squeeze.

He turned to her. A small smile played at her lips, so enticing that he had to put his own over hers. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss, and Soul felt a thrill run through his stomach. Maka's tongue ran across his bottom lip and he parted his lips to allow her entrance. She tasted like the wine.

Soul felt something warm on the top of his thigh. He reached down to take her hand, but instead was met with something cold and wet. He jumped, breaking the kiss.

Oni had wormed his head between their legs, peering up at them mournfully. Soul pushed on his head, but the dog was 90 pounds of pure muscle, so it was futile. Maka giggled, and Soul leaned back over to nip at her smiling lips. She grinned wider, and they kissed again.

A padded paw smacked Soul in the face. He grunted, and saw that Oni had propped himself up, looking at them and using his front paws to get attention. Soul tried to nudge his chest away, but to no avail. Maka closed the gap between them, and they tried again.

No such luck. Oni seemed to have decided he was done waiting for an invitation, and climbed up between them, using his massive shoulders to push them apart. He turned around, tail lifted into Soul's face, then settled in with a sigh, having separated the two humans by about three feet. Maka giggled and played with his ears.

So much for sex.


	4. Chapter 4

Soul sighed. He really wanted another drink to make it through this conversation, but he really shouldn't; he wanted to make sure Maka got home safely, and she was already wasted.

"But if you think about it, under this current administration and in the socioeconomic climate, are we all not dogwalkers to some extent?"

Soul closed his eyes. This was gonna be a long night.

Maka had said her publishing company always threw a party for New Years and they were decently fun; at least, the food was free. But Soul had been running late, having traveled back from his parents' house earlier that day, and by the time he got there, Maka had already had enough punch for three people.

"My friend Liz made me have it," she had giggled into his ear, an arm slung over his shoulder as she swayed against him. But the next moment, she had disappeared into the crowd again, and an older man had cornered Soul.

The man adjusted his glasses, peering into Soul's face. "Would you say that free market capitalism is the equivalent of picking up dog waste?" It was hard to take the man seriously with the large teddy bear head sewn onto his sweater.

"Soul, right?" said someone behind him, and Soul turned. A young man with dark hair extended his hand to him. "Maka's boss. You can call me Kid."

The young man had an odd look about him too, what with the weird dyed hair, but he at least did not seem interested in discussing Nietzsche and how he related to the decline of the people owning cats, so Soul shook his hand gratefully.

"Maka has said good things," Kid assured him.

"Um, glad to hear it," Soul said. Kid smiled.

"Ah, I knew Maka in college; we were friends before we were coworkers."

"Oh, nice," replied Soul, but Maka chose that moment to appear at Kid's elbow.

"Kid doesn't drink," Maka said a little too loudly, pointing at the glass in his hand. "This is just for show." She made to grab it, but Kid gently moved it out of her grasp.

"I think Maka could use some water," he said to Soul, who took her by the elbow. "It was nice meeting you, Soul, however briefly."

Soul steered Maka away from the party, searching for a water fountain. The firm had rented out a ballroom in a hotel, but the open bar only served alcohol. Maka was chattering away, talking about all her coworkers, and Soul tried to keep her as far away from anyone's earshot as possible. Her friend Liz waved at her and sent a wink Soul's way. He nodded as they passed and made their way into the hallway. To his relief, he spotted a water fountain.

"You should have some, Maka." She peered up at him through the gloom suspiciously. "C'mon, you don't want to have a horrible hangover."

She tapped him on the nose and turned to take a drink, tripping a little on her heels. She stuck her face in the stream of water and drank noisily. Soul rolled his eyes with a smile; she was definitely going to feel it in the morning.

"I don't want these," she said, dropping to the floor unceremoniously and undoing the small clasps of her shoes. She forgot to cross her legs; her panties were dark purple. Maka held them out to him.

"You want me to carry them?"

"Yes," she said, clambering up and making her way further down the darkened hall. She turned into a room and Soul followed, watching her weave her way to the window. She leaned against it heavily.

"How're you feeling?" Soul asked.

"Mmph," she replied, and Soul chuckled. He set her heels down on the table and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I am drunk," she said.

Soul laughed. "I know, Maka."

"You're not."

"Not really, no."

She turned in his arms, frowning slightly. "You are not drinking because you're trying to take care of me, and that is very nice." She patted his shoulder clumsily. "You are very nice."

Suddenly, Maka put her hands on his cheeks and held him steady, staring straight into his face. "Yes?" Soul asked through slightly smushed lips.

"You are also really nice because you haven't made a big deal about us not having sex yet."

"Oh," he said, dumbfounded.

She inspected him closely. "Do you want to?"

"I mean-"

"Do you like me?"

"Maka-"

She started twisting against him, grinding their hips together, and while it felt amazing, he moved his hands against her back to hold her still.

"Maka, Maka, you're too drunk. We're not gonna do this right now."

"Are you not-" she began, and he was surprised to her a thickness in her voice. Her eyes were damp.

"What's wrong?"

Laying her forehead against his shoulder, Maka shuddered in his arms. Soul started to rub her back in slow circles. After a few minutes of listening to her breathing even out, Soul gently tapped her.

"Maka? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not unless I have another drink."

"I don't think that's a great idea."

"You are probably right."

"I think so, yeah."

"What should we do?"

"I think we should get you home."

"Oh," she said. "Where are my shoes?"

Soul chuckled again. "I have them."

He managed to get her into her heels again, but she was still half asleep as they made for the coats. Mr. Teddy Bear seemed to want to corner him again, but Soul managed to loudly announce he was taking Maka home. "Happy New Year!" Liz shouted, clapping him on the back (she still had a drink her hand and appeared to still only be getting started). Maka smiled sleepily as Soul wrapped his arms around her, nodding to the taxi cab pulled up next to the building.

The trip back to Maka's apartment was harrowing, in part because of the freshly fallen snow and in part because of how green she looked ("please just hang in there Maka, it's only a few more blocks, please don't throw up yet"), but they made it back without too much excitement.

"Need me to walk you in?"

"I'm just gonna go vomit," she slurred. "I think I can handle it. You work tomorrow, right?"

"Bright and early," he winced. "Or at least, early for me."

She leaned forward without warning, smashing her lips against his. Maka straightened before he could ease into the kiss. "Bathroom," she said, then disappeared into her building. Soul smiled, shaking his head and touching his lips, where her lipstick had smeared across his face.

 

* * *

 

His phone rang the next morning, jolting him awake. Soul cursed, checking his alarm clock: 8:37. But the name on the screen read "Maka Albarn" and there was her picture, taken as she leaned over Oni on one of Soul's walks. He didn't need to be up for another two hours, but he answered anyway.

"'Lo?"

"Please tell me I did not say what I think I said last night."

Soul flung an arm across his face to shield his eyes. "Sorry," he croaked.

Maka let out a groan in his ear as he laughed tiredly. "Can we talk?" she asked, voice scratchy through the phone.

"Can I wake up first?"

She laughed gently. "How about I meet you for the walk?"

 

* * *

 

Maka met him on his usual route (it wasn't an Oni day, thankfully, so he was able to walk at a normal pace). She was nursing a Styrofoam cup of coffee and a hangover, and her makeup from the night before was smudged across her face, but she smiled warmly at him.

They walked with his pack of dogs for a few blocks, chatting amiably, until Soul finally cleared his throat and said, "So... about last night..."

Maka sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he said quickly.

"No, but I made things really awkward. That wasn't my intention. It's just... my last break up was... complicated."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I do. I just... well." She took another sip of coffee. "I dunno."

"How long ago was it?"

"Last spring. I mean, we hadn't been picking out curtains yet, but I did like him... sorry, I know new boyfriends don't like hearing about old ones."

Soul tugged on one of the leashes. "Naw, don't worry about it. If it's on your mind, I'd rather know."

She smiled at him, and it was such a genuine smile that Soul couldn't help but grin back. He got so distracted that one of the dogs managed to drag him across a patch of ice. He windmilled his arms as he struggled to remain upright. Maka's peals of laughter echoed against the barren trees.

"Don't even have Oni to blame for making a fool of myself," Soul grumbled.

"No, but it's adorable anyway," chortled Maka. She held out her coffee, and after juggling the leads for a moment, Soul was able to grab it and take a swig. Maka took it back and drank from it herself again.

"Okay, I needed to see that."

"Glad I could amuse you."

"You always do." She gazed down at the plastic top, picking at it with her fingernail. "Okay. Well. My ex's name is James. James Gopher."


	5. Chapter 5

"Gopher? That's a weird last name."

Maka laughed. "Honestly, he was kinda weird dude." She took another sip of coffee, and they began to walk again. "He was working as one of our literary agents when Kid offered me my position out of school. We hit it off really well. We both liked books, we both were on high school track, and we both liked the same music."

Her breath misted in front of her face as she spoke. Soul kept his eyes on the dogs, making sure none of them slipped on any ice.

"He did have a goofy face, sometimes," Maka said. She shot Soul a sly sideways glance. "Obviously, I have a type."

She laughed as Soul spluttered indignantly. But as his protests subsided, she began to look more pensive.

"We really don't have to talk about this if you don't want to."

Soul let out a breath through his lips, blowing his bangs up momentarily. "Well, I mean. It's obviously important to you. And, uh, I'd like to figure... this out."

She grinned coyly, then let out another sigh. "Well. Okay, so we got along, and decided that even though we worked together, we could give it a try."

"Bad idea?"

Maka snorted. "One of many. The next was sleeping together." She brought the cup to her lips, but frowned and pulled it away, looking dissatisfied. Shaking it next to her ear, she shook her head and continued. "It wasn't great. I couldn't figure out if it was me, or him, or the two of us, but it just... wasn't doing it for me. I tried saying something, I tried not saying something, nothing worked. Not good."

Soul grunted.

"Then one day, he picked up a new client. The guy's name was Noah, and he had an idea for this novel, set in a fantasy world, and it was gonna be called 'Eibon.' I don't even remember what the hell it was gonna be about, it got so convoluted, but James went on and on about the themes and the message and the style and he was convinced that it was gonna be the next big thing."

"Like 'Game of Thrones'?"

Maka pursed her lips at him.

"Oh my god, you're such a literary nerd, fine, 'A Song of Ice and Fire'?"

"James was convinced bigger. Which, like, okay fine. But Noah was terrible at keeping deadlines, and his drafts were all over the place, and he often wrote things really piecemeal, and it drove me crazy. His lateness made me late, but James refused to rush him because he insisted Noah was an 'artist' who needed to allow his genius to work its magic. He also started dropping his other clients to 'focus' on Noah. Normally he worked with seven or eight at a time, but eventually he was down to just Noah."

One of the dogs squatted, and Soul dutifully used one of his bags to scoop up the waste and the surrounding snow. With deft fingers, he closed the bag and looked around for the nearest trash can.

"Oh, here." Maka took it primly with her fingernails and held the bag away from her. She stumbled across the snow drifts, making her way towards a waste bucket covered in snow. Maka tossed her empty cup and the bag into the metal can with a slight clang, then walked back towards the cleared path, arms out on either side as she tried not to stumble.

"Thanks, you didn't have to."

"No problem. I needed the trash anyway." She stuck her hands in her pockets. "Anyway, yeah. James and I finally got into a huge fight over Noah. We were in the office late, because Noah had promised he would submit something by 5pm that day, and it was almost 7:30pm and he still hadn't. I needed it to make my deadline, and I was pissed. James waited with me, so we just started screaming at each other over it."

"Ouch."

"It was so unprofessional, I'm so glad Kid wasn't there to see. Pattie was, actually, but neither of us knew it at the time. She only told me months later that she had overhead." Maka rolled her eyes. "She complimented me on my creative use of the word 'godwottery' which I didn't even know was a word I knew."

Soul laughed out loud, echoing against the icy trees. Maka grinned at him from under her eyelashes.

"Well, I was pretty proud of that one. But yeah, it was ugly. It was a Friday, and by the time Monday rolled around, Kid was in my office at 8am, asking me why James was asking for time off." She closed her eyes. "I was so mad, I didn't bother trying to get in touch with him. He took two weeks of vacation time, but then as that approached, he emailed Kid and said it was actually his two weeks notice."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah," Maka sighed. "I know."

"No, I mean. I dunno. Seems kinda immature."

"In a way, yeah, I suppose. It just. It hurt. And I... sometimes have a hard time admitting I'm wrong, so there's that. It took another few weeks before I decided to try to talk to him again. It was then that I found out that they moved in together."

"James and Noah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. _Oh._ Shit."

Maka rubbed her eyes, spreading the faint makeup around. "Yeah. I never actually talked to him again, but I've heard through the grapevine that he's doing okay. Still claiming to be Noah's agent and talking about how great the book is gonna be. I dunno. Some of the things I've heard about the way Noah treats him doesn't impress me, but... well. He just always walked all over James and I think he still does."

"He's an adult. There's only so much you can do."

"I know. I know!" Maka threw her head back to gaze into the gray sky. "I was angry and hurt and frustrated, but then I found out about that and I felt bad because he obviously was figuring stuff out and that's totally understandable and I don't think he did anything maliciously but I also felt really fucking stupid for not knowing and just..." Turning her head, she gave Soul a wry smile. "Plus I'd just had a few months of bad sex. I was just not in a good place."

"Understandable," he said, grinning gently at her.

"So. Well, yeah. I guess it just got all tangled in my mind. Plus we haven't had much opportunity, after missing that long weekend away. I wish our work places weren't so far away from the other's apartment."

Soul sighed. "I know. I mean, I can always ask Marie for other routes to do, but that takes some rearranging."

"No, I know. I don't want you to feel like you have to change something like that for me."

"What if I want to?"

As Soul's hands were occupied with a number of leashes, Maka slipped her arm around his. "That's sweet," she whispered. They walked in silence for a few moments until she pulled away slightly and shot him an amused look. "Or you really want to have sex."

"Can't it be both?"

She laughed, leaning against him again. "Well, I can already tell it's gonna be fun when we actually get the chance; just the way you look at me lets me know you actually want to."

Soul leered down at her, a grin plastered across his face. "We do have some free time this morning," he said in a singsong voice. She swatted him.

"God, not with this headache. This is the worst hangover I've had since college. I need about eight more gallons of coffee and maybe some pancakes."

Soul smiled, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "That I can do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is also cross-posted on my tumblr and in my collection of SoMa NSFW Week 2014 prompts. I meant to post this ages ago, and completely forgot. Apologies!

Maka was kissing him gently, soft feathery smooches against his lips.  He grinned.  She kissed him more deeply and he leaned in to reciprocate.  She smiled then swiped her tongue over his mouth.  She did it again, and again, and—

Soul opened his eyes to see a very different guest in his bed.

"Oni!  Gerroff, dammit!"

Soul sat up and scrubbed his face, hearing the thump of the dog’s tail against the blankets.  The mutt gave a happy bark, then raced away into the kitchen for breakfast.

Soul sighed.  And it had been such a nice dream.

 

* * *

 

The day did not get better.

When he returned Oni to his awful owner later that morning, she had scowled at him and grabbed the leash from him.

"You’re late," she snapped.  "That will be coming out of your paycheck, I promise you."

Marie was not happy.

"Soul, I need you to keep Medusa on our side!" she trilled in his ear over the phone.  "There are plenty of other dog-walking places she can take her business to, as she is so fond of reminding me, and I need you not to lose us her money!"

The coffee mishap didn’t help.

"Oh, I thought you wanted skim milk," the girl behind the counter said.  "Uhhh I can remake it but you’ll have to get to the back of the line."

His mother’s phone call wasn’t much better.

"Soul, you haven’t been home to see us in ages.  Your father and I are growing concerned!"  There was a grunt of agreement and Soul realized his father was on the line as well.  "We were thinking, therefore, that we would come to see you for a long weekend.  I’m sure that would allow us to meet this mysterious person you’ve been seeing…"

The washing machine had been against him from the start.

"Oh, _c’mon_ ,” he groaned, opening the door to find that the spin cycle hadn’t work; his clothes sat in a cold puddle of water.

And then there was _that_ asshole.

"Fuck, man, tag your spoilers!" Soul cried, clicking the small red ‘x’ away from the Game of Thrones forum he frequented, but the damage had been done.

All in all, not his best day.

 

* * *

 

"Please tell me there are like, eight more of those hidden somewhere," Soul said, opening his apartment door to Maka, who stood in the hallway with a bottle of wine in her hands.  She looked down at it.

"No… sorry."

Soul smiled wanly.  “I’m kidding.  Half kidding.  Come on it, it was a rough day.”

"I can see that," she said, stepping over the threshold.

"Great," Soul muttered.

"No, stop," she said, setting down the bottle and removing her coat.  "I meant you looked exhausted."

Soul flung himself back down on his couch.  “Yeah, well.  Almost over, right?”  He indicated the clock on his oven; it read 9:17.

He scrolled through the list of movies idly as Maka busied herself with pouring drinks.  The light clinking of glasses and the hum of the TV was a familiar, soothing noise, and Soul felt himself sink further into the cushions.

Maka approached the sofa, full glass in hand, and Soul held out an arm.  She sank into the crook of his shoulder and settled in, handing him his wine as Soul selected one of the movies they had on their list.

They sipped their drinks (well, Soul might have down his pretty quickly — it had been a long day) and cuddled, basking in the low glow of the TV.  Soul zoned out, staring at the screen.

Maka set her wineglass down on the coffee table and leaned back into Soul, walking her fingers up and down his torso as she got comfortable again.  She continued, seemingly absentmindedly, and Soul barely noticed until her fingers started to stray rather far south.

"Where are you going?" he asked with a grin.

"Hmm," she said, tapping her fingers against the waistband of his sweatpants, "I wonder."

"I thought you’d been looking forward to seeing this movie."

"I’ve been looking forward to doing this more," she breathed in his ear.  Soul shuddered suddenly.  "And seeing as how you’ve had a bad day, this seems like a perfect opportunity."

"You don’t have to—"

"I want to.  Besides, you can always return the favor."  She kissed the shell of his ear.

"That sounds like a good deal," he murmured, and her fingers dipped below his waistband.

Her hand was a little cool to the touch, but she rubbed his thighs, dancing closer to her goal and warming her hands as she went.  Soul felt his dick twitch as he grew more and more erect in anticipation of her hands.  She played lightly with his snowy curls.  Finally, she slid the pads of her fingers up his shaft to reach his head, curling her hand around him.

She pulled, and it was clear she knew what she was doing, so Soul leaned his head back against the sofa cushions and let out the breath he was holding.  She shifted against him to get a better angle.

Maka stroked him languidly, clearing enjoying taking her time, and Soul was happy to let her, allowing himself to relish in the feel of her skin on his, her fingers gently massaging below the tip of his erection.

Soul found himself thrusting ever so slightly upwards into her hand, matching her movements, and Maka squeezed a bit tighter, pressed a bit harder.  He opened his mouth to breathe heavier, letting out a “ _hah”_ as he did.

She curled a finger over the top of his pants.  “Can we move these?”  Soul wriggled while Maka paused in her movements, allowing him to slide his pants over his hips.  It was a little awkward to sit there with his sweatpants around his lower thighs, but he forgot all about that as Maka gathered her hair with her free hand and leaned over.

She licked the sensitive vein on the underside of his dick, testing the waters.  Soul jerked a little.  Maka flattened her tongue and tried again.  For a while, she experimented, discovering what trick earned her what gasp or moan; he knew she was paying close attention.  But the loudest groan of all dropped from his lips as she finally closed hers around him.

Her mouth was hot, almost too hot, and Soul shifted again, suddenly overstimulated.  She moved her tongue against him gently, and soon he was rocking into her movements again, and she began to suck him in earnest.  Using her hand to pump him, her moved her mouth over him, back and forth.  Soul twisted one of his hands into her hair; her eyelashes fluttered as she smiled around his dick.

Maka started to hum.  Soul let out a noise of appreciation; words were beyond him now.  Between the vibrations of her lips, the texture of her tongue, the movements of her hand, he felt his abdomen tighten.

"Mah— _ahh_ ,” he moaned, and to his pleasure and chagrin, he came hard down his girlfriend’s throat.

She stilled herself and swallowed, then pumped her hand slowly as his orgasm faded.

"Oh man," he slurred slightly.  "I am so sorry.  I should have warned you."

"I’m all right," she said, sitting up, fingers to her lips.  She licked the inside of her cheek.  "But I will get more wine."

Soul chuckled weakly.  “Not a bad idea.”

She stood and walked back towards the kitchenette.  “Want some too?”

"I thought it was gonna be your turn?"

"It will be!  But we can finish the movie first.  You look a little tired," she said with a smirk, grabbing the bottle and stalking back over.  She folded her legs and curled back into him.  "Trust me, seeing you like that… well, I will need some attention too.  But you look a little tired, so we can wait for you to get a second wind."  She leaned over the coffee table, pouring the wine.  As she settled back, offering him his glass, Soul kissed her.

"Guess it wasn’t such a bad day after all."


End file.
